Nalu: A Lifetime
by HazelDragonNora
Summary: A collection of oneshots for Nalu Week 2015's prompts. Warning: spoilers in some prompts. Prompt for Day 1: Wander - [Summary: His thoughts would always wander to her.]
1. Shine

Bonus Prompt: Shine

 _The shine of tears and the shimmer of stars along with a glimpse of a shiny future._

 _The sky shone with millions of stars, each one a tiny pinprick of light and hope, but to the boy, they were like tears framed against a black hole of infinite misery and regret._

 **A/N:** This is not the happiest Nalu oneshot... What am I doing writing sad-ish stories during Nalu Week? I don't know! For some reason it never comes out the exact way I imagine it. Also, Natsu is OOC in this one - sorry... *sighs*

 **Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. I do not own anything.

* * *

"Hey, Natsu! Natsu!" Said pink haired boy kept walking, ignoring the quiet snickers from others around him. "Oi! Natsu!" A hand latched onto his sleeve and he stopped abruptly.

Pausing as a frozen sort of silence spread through the hallway like the ripple effect, he brushed off her hand.

Not even looking up to meet her hopeful eyes, he walked away.

Just like that, conversations started up again and students began to move, heading to their advisory as the five-minute warning bell tolled.

The girl stood in the center of the hallway, others jostling past, most of them purposefully bumping into her.

Her hand was still outstretched, reaching for _him_ , but he was long gone.

"I'll see you later then, Natsu," she said to the empty corridor, casting her pained smile at the dusty floor, hand dropping limply to her side. "Maybe then, we can talk..."

The late bell rang.

* * *

"Oi, Dragneel! Over here!" sitting at a moderately crowded table, a boy with an unruly mane of black hair smirked and waved at the rosy-haired boy.

"I got it, Redfox," the pink haired boy smirked back, walking over with his tray of cafeteria slop and sitting at an empty seat.

"You must have ashy taste buds or something, being able to eat stuff like that," a raven-haired boy said, peering at his rival's tray and wrinkling his brow in disgust as the strange, multicolored, supposed-to-be-dessert thing _jiggled_.

"I dunno. I'm just really starving," Natsu exclaimed, digging into his lunch.

"Dude, did you pay any attention when your jello _moved_?" a harsh pat on the back later and Natsu choked, spitting out his food.

"Hey! What the hell was that fo-" he yelled, turning around.

Gray and Gajeel paled as murderous vibes emanated from the scarlet haired girl.

"Are you cursing, by any chance, Mr. Dragneel?" she asked, a sinister smile on her face as she casually pulled out a metal crowbar from her school uniform top.

"N-no Erza," Natsu shrunk, attempting to seem smaller.

"That's Erza-san to you, punk-"

"Erza! There you are!" a girl exclaimed, cutting the fearsome president's lecture off.

"Oh! I am so sorry, Lucy. I just had to apprehend some trouble makers," Erza said, sticking the crowbar back into her uniform and glaring at the sulking pink-haired boy.

"Hey, Lucy!" Gray smiled at the girl.

"Yo, Bunny Girl," Gajeel nodded coolly at the blonde, his eyes trailing to the table at the opposite corner of the lunchroom where a petite girl reading an encyclopedia sat.

"Hey Gray, Gajeel, and Natsu," she smiled at then, her eyes lingering on an unresponsive pink haired boy.

"The Shrimp is still reading that thing? Has she eaten anything yet?" the long-black-haired guitarist asked.

"Um, I think so-" Lucy paused, blinking when Gajeel stood up and wandered over to the other table. "Well, okay..."

"Juvia has come to deliver Juvia's Sweet Pea's lunch!" the blue-haired girl announced, popping out of nowhere and dropping a bento box in front of an embarrassed Gray.

"W-wait, Juvia. Not now," he muttered, blushing but otherwise not complaining as she kissed his cheek.

The crowbar whizzed through the air, halting in front of Gray's throat, the raven-haired boy nervously gulping.

"Hold up! You two are d-d-dating?" Erza squeaked, blushing furiously as she asked the question, thus starting up an awkward conversation with Gray and Juvia.

* * *

Lucy sighed, sliding into a seat next to Natsu.

She was glad that the rest of her friends were occupied with other lunch matters so that they would not interrupt her and Natsu's talk.

"Hey Natsu," she got no response from him except for a turn of the head so she couldn't see his face; the simple little action made her already hurting heart twinge.

"Natsu, I don't know why you don't want to talk me. I really need to tell you something, so it'd be nice if at least… at least you look at me," she said, but he didn't turn nor even twitched a bit. "We're childhood friends, Natsu! Come on – at least tell _me_ what's wrong."

He suddenly spun around and sat up, glaring at her eye to eye.

"You know what's wrong?" he snarled, his face right up in front of hers, and she flinched, never having seen him so angry – towards _her_. " _Everything_ is wrong!"

Unnoticed by the two of them, their friends had stopped talking, and the entire cafeteria had fallen silent.

"My father is gone – heck, he disappeared ten years ago and never came back! I don't even know if he's dead or alive, if he really loved me, if he ever thinks about me. But you," he panted, his chest heaving with the enormous anger behind the words he said.

"Your dad is still alive, safe in your house. Hell – he's practically locked up, safe in sound, in his office at home all day and he's there when you go home _every single f-ing day_. Yet you still complain about him. You don't deserve a father! You don't deserve to have been _born_ -"

" _Natsu_!" Erza shouted, her glare directed at the boy. "That's enough!"

"NO!" he lunged for Lucy, but Gray and Gajeel each grabbed an arm, restraining him. "LET ME GO!" he snarled.

Her eyes wide and shining with tears, the blonde scooted backwards, all but falling into Levy and Juvia's arms as she stared at her best friend.

He was practically foaming at the mouth – his pupils dilating and his eyes somehow alternating between two colors – and thrashing in the other two boys' arms as Erza sprinted to get Mr. Clive, the buff physics teacher and a close father figure to Natsu.

"It's okay, Lu-chan. Natsu didn't mean it – he's just out of it right now. Everything will be alright," Levy whispered, embracing the silently crying girl.

Juvia shook her head sadly, empathetic, and hugged her with Levy.

"No, it won't," Lucy whispered. She could only bite her lip and tremble as tears slid down her cheeks.

* * *

The next day, Natsu was back to normal, but Lucy wasn't at school.

Everyone was worried for their usually cheerful friend, but they all understood that she probably needed some time to… think.

"See you guys!" Natsu shouted as he parted ways with his friends. He was heading back to the dorm early because he needed time to… think about his apology to his best friend.

"What's this?" he asked, picking up a letter that had probably been slipped underneath his door.

The envelope was of a crisp white color with only one word, or name, on it: _Natsu_.

He shivered; the handwriting seemed eerily familiar.

A wax seal with an imprint of a key on it sealed the envelope, and he shut the door behind him before going to his desk and grabbing a letter opener.

The letter paper was a creamy peach hue and the top of the paper was dated today's date.

It was the second sentence that caught his attention: "I'm moving away", and it was the signature at the bottom of the letter that pushed him into action.

* * *

 _Dear Natsu,_

 _It's too late now, so please don't try to chase after me._

 _I'm moving away._

 _It's not your fault; so don't beat yourself up because of it either. I want you to know I still consider you as my best friend even if you don't._

 _I'm sorry I was so selfish – I didn't mean to plague you with my problems and make you feel bad about your father. I am a horrible daughter… I could be so much better to him. Thank you for allowing me to realize that._

 _Please take care of everybody else the best you can!_

 _So long, Natsu._

 _Yours forever,_

 _Lucy Heartfilia_

* * *

"Lucy!" he yelled, sprinting out of the dorm and down the road to her house. "Lucy Heartfilia!" Breathless and gasping, he skidded to a stop in front of her dark, unlit mansion.

"No…" There was a sign hanging from a wooden stake at the front of her house on her lawn.

It read: Sold.

This could not be happening. Because of one little mistake, she was gone and believed the wrong thing.

He didn't hate her - how could he?

She was his best friend; His cuddle buddy; His cat babysitter; His cook; His Luce; His _everything_.

Wiping away a stray raindrop from the corner of his eye, he sniffed, suddenly feeling very cold and numb.

"What the hell?" he said, voice hoarse as more stray raindrops slid down his cheek. He wiped them away, but still more followed.

"Dammit," he collapsed on the sidewalk, punching the concrete with his bare fists, wishing that she'd come back to him. "I'm not crying. I'm definitely not crying."

The sky shone with millions of stars, each one a tiny pinprick of light and hope, but to the boy, they were like tears framed against a black hole of infinite misery and regret.

How he wished to turn back time and wipe away the shine of tears in her eyes.

How he wished he had hugged her instead of moping.

Then, maybe their future would've looked brighter. It was always better when they were together.

"I promise I'll see you again in this life, Luce. And when we meet again, I won't let you go."


	2. Wander

First Prompt: Wander

 _His thoughts would always wander to her._

 **EDIT: SPOILER WARNING for those not caught up to the manga**

 **A/N:** I'm back with the next one-shot for Nalu Week 2015! Hope you guys like it! :)

 **Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. I do not own anything.

* * *

The roar of the waterfall drowned out all noise as it crashed from the forestry above into a small, crystal clear pool of water below.

"Can't sleep, Natsu?" Startled, the boy spun around, preparing for a fight.

Gildarts smiled a fatherly smile at the pink head and motioned towards the grass.

"Do you mind if I take a seat?" he asked.

"Nah," Natsu replied and scooted over, his gaze returning to something above the thundering waves of water. The older man sat down on his rump, his eyes following the boy's gaze.

Grinning, he elbowed the teen, saying, "You miss her, don't you?"

"Of course," Natsu said, his eyes following the trail of stars in the sky. "It feels too quiet without her around."

Gildarts wiggled his eyebrows. "During which activities-?"

"Shut up, old man! I'm nothing like you." Succeeding in breaking through his obnoxiously innocent shell, Gildarts grinned as Natsu shook his head furiously and punched him in the arm.

"Come on! This'll be our man-to-man feelings talk. You can confide in me," the older male said, smirking cockily.

Reigning in his thoughts, the younger male adverted his eyes and admitted, "I just don't know why but my thoughts always wander to _her_. That was how you got a hit on me today!"

"Liar!" Gildarts exclaimed, poking Natsu in the cheek.

"No! It's true – I'm serious!" the pink haired boy said, swatting his hand away. "It's like she's always in my head or something!"

The S-Class wizard looked to the night sky – at the stars that sparkled brightly. "Is that why you're stargazing?"

"Y-yeah," Natsu sighed, eyeing an annoying lion constellation. "It just helps calm me down and I feel like I'm closer to her... Like maybe she's looking at the same stars right now."

Smiling knowingly, Gildarts asked quietly, "are you sure you don't love her?"

"Of course I love her! I love all my nakama!" the boy answered and the older man sighed.

"I mean: do you love her _romantically_?"

The younger man was uncharacteristically silent for a few seconds. "I… I don't know," he whispered.

Dropping his hand, Gildarts ruffled Natsu's hair affectionately and then let it sit there.

"Just know that if you do love her, don't wander too long before confronting her… or else she may not be there anymore…"

The crash magic mage sat with the dragon slayer, both lost in their maze of thoughts during their wandering travel.

* * *

"Maybe… maybe I do…" came the quiet confession long after the conversation had passed, but before the stars had faded.

 _Now, his thoughts weren't wandering anymore – they were exactly where they were supposed to be._

 **End**


	3. Gratitude

Second Prompt: Gratitude

 _In which Lucy expresses her thanks._

 **EDIT: SPOILER WARNING for those not caught up with the manga**

 **A/N:** Hope everyone had an awesome July 4th! I will be finishing this year's Nalu Week's prompts, so look out for them! Enjoy! ;)

* * *

"Hey Igneel-san," a forlorn blonde sat on the edge of a cliff, dangling her feet over crashing waves below. "How are you doing in heaven?"

She looked up to the darkened sky and smiled at the moon, so pale and serene.

"I realized I never got to properly thank you," she continued, looking down at her clasped hands. "For finding Natsu, for teaching that guy manners – who am I kidding." At this she chuckled.

"For educating him and embodying such a powerful fighting spirit within him," the girl sighed and shook her head. "Man, I bet he's even more powerful now."

A pregnant silence filled the small, windswept clearing.

"But I guess that you're also the one to blame," she fumed, anger radiating off her body. "For his shitty goodbyes!"

She jumped up, yelling, and shook a fist at the sky. "If you can hear me up there, you fire breathing lizard, you better come down here and lecture that pink haired pyromaniac – even if you're only in spiritual form!"

There's no reply to her outburst so reluctantly, she sat and resumed staring at her hands.

"Sorry, Igneel-san. That was uncalled for. But… you probably know already," her bangs hid her eyes as she teared up, her hands clenching. "I-I miss him so much!"

Up in heaven, a great red dragon watched over the crying girl.  
"If only I could do something," he sighed, clearly distressed. "Sometimes I don't know what he was thinking, running off just like that, but I know that he loves you, Lucy. He's the kind of boy who lives in the present so trust me; he did it for a good reason. Wait for him, my dear."

His gaze was fond as he saw the celestial spirit mage, clearly at her most vulnerable point, brush away her tears and grimace as she muttered, "Oh Mavis, that stupid sand, always getting in my eyes. Ugh! And pollen allergies."

"But you don't have any allergies, my dear." Layla Heartfilia grinned mischievously and Jude kissed her forehead. Both of them smiled as they saw their daughter stand.

"Just let her be for now, my dearest. She's become an amazing wizard," the male's eyes softened and he blew an invisible kiss at his daughter from heaven. "And the best daughter we could ever have. I'm proud of you, Lucy."

"Papa?" The girl looked up, her eyes wide as she scanned her surroundings. She could've sworn that she just heard her father's voice, but there was no one else there. Then she looked up at the night sky and when a single star twinkled merrily at her, she saw and understood.

"Really, thanks for everything, Igneel-san! Bye Mama! Bye Papa!" She waved at the sky and then ran back to civilization.

"I swear, if that son of mine doesn't mate with her…" Igneel growled, clenching a claw.

Layla smiled and patted the fire dragon's side. "Now now, Igneel, let's just observe how this plays out, although I'm positive they'll be together someday."

"If that kid doesn't treat my little princess well…" Jude cracked his knuckles and Layla rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, Honey, I'll get to him first." Layla said calmly, examining her nails.

The fiery dragon and the husband both gulped. "Women..."


	4. Transformation

Third Prompt: Transformation

 _He wasn't sure if he could accept possibly being distanced from her life. After all, she had gone through quite a transformation and took care of herself pretty well while he was gone. Would she still need him?_

 **SPOILER WARNING for those not caught up to the manga**

 **A/N:** I'm back with the next *cough overdue cough* one-shot for Nalu Week 2015! Hope you all like it! ;)

 **Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. I do not own anything.

* * *

He didn't want to fight her; didn't want to see the transformation she went through – from an amazing celestial spirit mage to probably an even better one.

He was being selfish he knew. Just because she got stronger didn't necessarily mean that she didn't need his strength, his help anymore.

In fact, he should have been happy because if she really got stronger over the past year, he would be able to go on even more challenging missions with her. They would spend even more time together as a team, but no; because he was a selfish, arrogant – extremely strong if he may add – dragon slayer, he wanted to be the one always saving her.

No buts, no excuses.

So he silently rejected her invitation to spar. And to add to the list of cons of sparing against Lucy, he didn't want to hurt her. He didn't give much extra thought to that one; After all, Lucy was his nakama and beloved partner – of course he wouldn't want to hurt her!

But he knew from the unforgiving, rigid stance of her back as they rode the spotted jaguars to rendezvous with Erza that some part of her still didn't forgive him.

Another subtle hint was that she was chatting with Gray – or heaven forbids, _flirting_ with the ice princess. He growled lowly when Gray made a perverted remark about Lucy dressed as a maid hitting him.

Either Lucy was ignoring him or she didn't hear him, but Gray glanced at him and that icy bastard _smirked_.

When the blonde wasn't watching, the obnoxious guy even mouthed the words, "Jealous, flame brain?" at him.

"Happy, why do I feel… like I want to crush Gray's head?" his eye was twitching as he asked his blue furred buddy. The exceed perched on his head closed his eyes and sighed.

"How naïve, Natsu." Happy shook his furry head, a small, helpless smile gracing his maw.

Oh, how Natsu was going to smash that smartass Gray's skull in later. But right now wasn't the free for all; they had Avatar to defeat first.

With the entirety of his old team fighting together once more, he felt ease and a sense of security wash over him that hadn't occurred since he met Gildarts on his travels.

He was confident that they would kick the enemy's ass. There was no way that they would lose.

* * *

Natsu jumped into the air. Looking down upon the frightened cult followers, he grinned, both fists lighting up with similar bursts of fire as he let gravity take over.

With a massive fiery explosion, he smashed into the ground fist first. Fissures ran from the crack where he landed and spread across the ground. With a smirk at the enemy troops, he let his flames flare up even more and the earth split. Wails filled the air as soldiers grappled for secure footing and fell into the chasm amidst the chaos.

"Welp, that was simple." Fluffing his salmon locks, Natsu turned to see how everyone else was faring… and caught his breath.

From where he was standing, he could see Gray and Lucy battling together on the hilltop. However, it was the latter that made his lungs go empty and his heart skip a few beats.

Caught in the heat of the battle, Lucy Heartfilia was as radiant as the sun and moon put together and then magnified with a telescope. She was the center of his world; her gravitational pull drew him in.

Moreover, when she reequipped into her newly acquired zodiac outfits, it was like she was a new being. Each uniform gave her different strengths and an altered personality that still included her original kindness and sense of justice, the traits about her that first intrigued him. Sure, she had other… assets that were an added bonus to working with her, but – he shook his head.

She was amazing.

He smiled a secret grin that was reserved for his partner and gazed after her warring form with love.

As she knocked down enemy after enemy – never once fatally injuring any of them – he couldn't help but grudgingly accept her transformation.

 _She deserves it_ , he thought, more than a little bit of pride swelling up in his chest for his partner's development. _After working so hard for a year without Happy or me… she really grew._

She didn't seem to need his help as much anyone – a fact he realized when she didn't call for him as often as befo–

"Natsu!" he blinked, snapping back to reality. Lucy was waving at him, her outfit a bit torn and her face a little bruised and scratched, but she was smiling.

"Come on, Natsu! Gray needs your help up here-"

" _I do not!_ " Lucy turned, breaking eye contact with him for a second to glare at the ice make wizard.

"Whatever," the girl huffed, but a smile returned to her face and she beckoned for Natsu to come up. "Hurry up, slowpoke!"

"Alright, alright… I'm coming." He exclaimed, grinning widely as she rolled her eyes. She knelt down, extending a hand to help him up the little ledge and although he didn't need her help, he still accepted it.

Her hand was soft and pale in comparison to his, but as he stood up, his thumb rubbing small circles on her open palm, he realized another change.

She had callouses. Lucy's hand, so smooth and delicate from years of being pampered and kept away from much physical activity, had it's own kind of roughness now.

His eyes snapped up from examining her palm, connecting with hers. Her mouth was in an "o" shape, her eyes were crinkled and her brow was furrowed a bit as she looked at him. She was unconsciously squeezing his hand as his thumb traced patterns on her palm.

He smiled at her, a tad gentler than his usual grin and instead of pulling away or Lucy-kicking him into next week, she merely paused a second, then smiled shyly at him.

It was her sign of acceptance that hit home in his heart. He would always be there for her - whether she needed him or not.

She truly transformed into quite the beautiful, respectable young lady.

* * *

Cue the giggling from Happy as he watched the two interact.

Gray raised an eyebrow at the two lovebirds.

"I hope she knows what she's got herself into," he said.

An armored hand crushed him into a steel breastplate.

"Ah, some young love is good," Erza exclaimed wistfully, not minding the fact that the ice make wizard was suffocating in her chokehold hug.

Happy traced out a broken heart in the dirt and in the next second, the exceed went flying head over heels into the sky.

"Aye," Erza growled, lowering her foot. "Young love."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Sooo, welcome to another Nalu Week prompt! I will be completing the prompts when I have free time.  
Hopefully I will be able to finish these before the school year begins. *coughing ensues*

A shoutout to the favoriters, followers, and all readers! I love you guys!

Hope you all enjoyed!

~Nora


	5. Reunion

Self-Made Prompt: Reunion

 _She doesn't think that she'll survive if she's abandoned again by him, the man her heart belongs to. Even so, she can't help but hope that the tremor in his voice and the firmness that he embraced her when they reunited meant something... more._

 **SPOILER WARNING for those not caught up with the manga**

 **A/N:** Hey everyone - I'm present; Loaded with homework, but still writing! The updates for my other stories will be laggy, but I'm planning to update PCP soon. I'm preparing for major placement tests, so I will be delayed a bit by those, too. Rest assured, I will not stop writing!

Also, I will not be writing for the Nalu Week Day 4 Prompt: "Smoke."

* * *

When she spotted him in the arena, worn cloak billowing and reminding her of Gildarts, yet the pink hair and wide, maniacal grin a dead giveaway, her heart stopped.

Time froze as she clutched at the upper left of her chest, her heartbeat nonexistent before the world around rushed back in a tidal wave and she took a shaky step forward, leaning over the railing towards him, her hands still covering her heart as if shielding it from the emotional torment that came with the boy. **Natsu.**

" _Natsu?!_ " She screamed, wanting to burst into tears. She was a stormy rain cloud, wishing to shed joyful, spring showers, yet incapable of doing so, of escaping the heavy net of responsibilities snaring her heart and soul.

He turned, reflexes as sharp as ever, and his eyes sought her out.

Their eyes met and the grin fell from his face as his eyes widened a fraction, and then he was leaping onto the railing, like how he used to enter her apartment through the window, and he hugged her, all bundles of tanned skin and corded muscle and restrained energy, but there was something _different_ in his voice, something barely hidden underneath the rough tone when he said, " _Lucy_."

She'd envisioned this reunion and imagined everything that would happen: the things she'd say to him, what he woule say, but with it actually happening now, the words –and the feelings; they would not come.

For minutes, they stayed in each other's arms, Natsu doing the embracing while she stood stock-still, afraid that if she moved, he'd disappear and this would turn out to be another one of the many visions she saw the past year.

"I'm here, Luce. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." He whispered in her ear, palms rubbing soothing, little circles on her back.

Wings brushed the tips of her ears and the warm body heat of a little exceed settled on her shoulder, his furry face tickling the side of her neck as he snuggled against her.

And she closed her eyes and breathed and prayed, and the heavens granted her wish; although they prickled at the back of her eyelids, the tears did not fall.

* * *

After a revitalizing discussion with Natsu and Happy about her previous job as an underwear model, they sat and she went to the kitchen to make some tea and dinner.

Between placing a kettle of water on the stove and waiting the few long minutes for it to boil, she realized how much she missed out from Natsu and Happy's one-year absence. She wasn't used to longhaired Natsu, who insisted that he had no time, means, nor reason to cut his hair during his year of training, and the first thing she'd do after the tea was finished was cut it.

"But I don't mind it!" he had complained when she suggested. "I'm actually kinda used to it now."

She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him, her fingers itching to grab the scissors from the small kitchen and rid him of his atrocious hairdo then and there. "I'm going to cut it whether you want it or not!"

"B-but–" He shivered under her heavy glare and clamped his mouth shut.

"If you keep complaining, I'm going to make sure you end up bald!" she retorted, shooting him a stern look with the tiniest of smiles. "I'll go make some tea first, and then you'll meet your fate."

He stayed quiet as she walked into the kitchen, and once she started rummaging around, cookware and silverware clattering, he murmured softly to himself, "her smile is different."

* * *

Scolding Natsu and reminding him that the blankets she had set out and the couch were for him and Happy made her reminiscent.

She didn't notice that he noticed her shoulders drooped slightly as she entered her room, leaving the door open a crack. She didn't see the way his brow furrowed as they always did when he was thinking about something. She didn't see this because she was already isolated in her room, in her bed, beneath the familiar pink comforter and off to dreamland.

He fell into a decent sleep with Lucy nearby and Happy snoozing between the back of the couch and him. It was a small whimper that startled him awake.

"Lucy?" he whispered, already alert. He looked over and in the darkness he saw that the clock on the wall read 11:46.

There was another fitful noise and Natsu rose from the couch slowly, careful to not wake the sleeping exceed. He tiptoed over to the girl's room, peering in through the opening in the doorway.

She didn't tell him he couldn't come in her room, but he respected her privacy so he didn't enter before. The situation now, though, was different. Lucy made another sound of discomfort, turning over in her bed, and he stepped through the crack, gently pushing the door open wider.

The giant map that hung on the wall opposite the doorway stopped him in his tracks. His eyes roamed over the large sheet of faded paper. Thumbtacks and colored string decorated the country of Fiore and small slips of paper were pinned to the edges of the map, often near a thumbtack.

Natsu walked up to the map, noticing that the thumbtacks and string were color-coded. With a start, he realized there were little pictures of his different guild members all over the map.

He spotted Elfman, Lisanna, and Mirajane in a crinkly picture near a pink colored thumbtack linked with pink yarn, and Macao and Romeo had a purple thumbtack with purple yarn following their path through Fiore. There was even a news article with an image of Erza holding a large strawberry cheesecake in one hand and a hand resting on the hilt of her sword. She had a red thumbtack pinpointing the places she was seen and red string went in loops around the entire country. Everywhere he looked, Natsu saw a familiar face on the map or string or a tack corresponding to someone he knew from Fairy Tail.

However, the one person he didn't find a trace of on the map… was him. A wave of regret washed over him. Lucy must've felt so lonely and betrayed when he just left her behind and vanished without a trace for a year. Yet when he returned, she'd welcomed him into her new, smaller apartment with open arms – she'd let him back into her life.

What kind of person did that make him?

He padded over to her bed where she lay tangled in her pink comforter. A sense of nostalgia hit him as he laid eyes on the familiar blanket.

Carefully, he perched on the edge of her mattress and rested a hand on her head. She immediately shifted, and he tensed. Luckily, her eyes were still shut and she made no other noises.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he proceeded to stroke her head, untangling her hair as he went. Lucy let out a sigh and the tension seemed to drain from her coiled body. A peaceful expression adorned her face and he couldn't help but admire the serene image she made.

The curtain was shifted slightly, letting in moonbeams that danced over her pale face, resting eyes, cute nose, and full lips. Several strands of golden hair draped over her face, and he marveled at how silky they were as he tucked them behind her ears.

Lucy at peace and his job done, he got up, freezing when she moved and turned over, reaching a hand towards where he had been sitting.

"N-natsu…" she muttered against the mattress and let out a sad breath that shook Natsu's soul to the core.

As he watched, a tear dripped onto the mattress, trailing a silver path on Lucy's ivory visage, now contorted with anguish. He felt his heart shatter and he knelt down next to her again, wrapping his hand around her outstretched one and tracing small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. Within seconds, her features smoothed out.

"I promise," he murmured to her, and to her only. "I'm never leaving you again." He leaned over and then rose and exited the room, making sure to leave the door exactly as it had been when Lucy got into bed.

* * *

The next morning, all Lucy remembered was the fleeting touch of something soft and warm against her forehead. It seemed remarkably like lips, she thought while fighting a blush off her cheeks. Natsu observed her with a smirk and even Happy snickered along merrily.

The three bonded a lot faster afterwards, although the dragon slayer and his favorite celestial spirit mage still had some lost time to catch up on…

"Maybe on a date," the mischievous exceed suggested with a chuckle.


	6. Need

Fourth Prompt: Need

 _She needed to trust, but it was hard to when she was betrayed so many times._

 **A/N:** Gosh, it's been a while! School's beating me up; time management is not one of my strongest subjects. ;-; PCP is next to be updated - I am really sorry about the long wait between updates. Application and SAT is prime time for now, and real life is hectic.

Thanks to all reviewers, followers, favoriters, and readers of this little collection of one-shots!

Anyways, _snugglyfluff_ ,  
and I hope you enjoy this prompt! ;)

* * *

She strode through the halls, her pace betraying her current state of mind, but face smooth except for a small crease on her forehead. Echoes of that voice – _his voice_ – resonated in her head.

" _Happy turns into a bat, Ice Princess smells like a rat, Erza is not a punching mat, and Lucy is fat and annoying – and loud."_

His tone had been joking and a grin lit up his face. His surprisingly organized, spiky pink hair that she usually marveled at shadowed his left eye; however, she didn't gaze with awe then.

There were three words that she never thought would affect her this much– and _Natsu_ , of all people, said them all!

She stormed down the hallway, unaware of the eyes that flitted to her and back to their studies when she passed the numerous classrooms with doors propped open. The teachers gave her a concerned look, which she didn't see, when she strode past; they knew of her dedicated and cheerful disposition.

" _Fat, annoying, and loud"_ – they were the cursed words, forever to haunt her. Every time she thought the nauseous, gut-wrenching feeling she got from hearing them passed, it would strike her again, right in the gut, accompanied with an awful twist of her heart.

She'd played it cool:

" _You imbecile!" she yelled, whacking her fellow art classmate on the back of his head (his hair was so soft). "Don't put the word 'fat' and my name in the same sentence!"_

–even though she felt like someone had jabbed a needle into her heart and her throat suddenly constricted; the world was wavering with an all-too-sharp image of the impish boy who didn't know what she was feeling.

No one did.

* * *

He knew her footfalls anywhere. However, the crisp, brisk snap of her feet against the cold marble floor was new. Different, somehow.

The emotion was one he sensed from her sometimes when she was sitting alone and reading a book – _"Quality literature needs quality attention,"_ she'd said – or when they were talking with their group of friends, like that one time they started arguing about whether Gajeel's, Gray's, or his father would win in a brawl. _"Definitely Igneel – don't you think, Luce?"_ he'd asked, and she agreed with a happy nod of her head; but her eyes were far away and distant, as if she was trying to look in the future or past, like their fortune telling friend, Cana.

She was not happy, he realized, and stood up from his seat and walked out of the room with so much purpose that his science teacher didn't question him.

He trailed after her quietly down the long electives hallway. She turned left and climbed a flight of stairs, and he followed, tripping over an ice cube with a curse on the fourth step and falling back down to the third landing.

There was no sign of her when he emerged on the third floor, and he worried he lost her. But then through the window right across from him, he saw her cautiously stepping onto the roof garden, three little islands of beautiful greenery, each with its own unique garden tended by three different teams of students, linked together with rope bridges, and supported with pillars from the ground.

She turned to close the access door and with a wild, unbalanced step when the door shut close faster than she expected, her arms waved crazily as she struggled to stay on the narrow platform connecting the building to the garden.

He launched himself forward and was a few steps away from the door when she managed to steady herself. Sighing a breath of relief and clutching at his flame printed t-shirt, he slowed his steps and made his way calmly to the door.

There was a little koi pond up on the third and farthest garden, and she made her way there. Strands of sun-soaked, golden hair blew in her face, and she brushed them away slowly. Natsu was halfway to the last island when she suddenly said, "I know you're there."

His heart pounding a thousand times a second, he opened his dry mouth and she spoke again.  
"Mom, I know you're up there. Answer me!" There was silence and the scratchy rustling of leaves as wind tangled in the trees' messy hair. Natsu gulped and took a slow step forward, wincing when the bridge creaked. Praying that she hadn't heard, he took another step forward.

"Mom," she yelled. "Mom! MOM!" Her last word was screamed, the sound echoing off the brick walls of Fairy Tail Academy.

Luckily, there were no windows open and the floor they were level with was half library and half empty classrooms; the seventh graders had gone to lunch and the library was closed for rebuilding after a stray cat had been pursued into the library and finally captured after the "room of knowledge" had havoc wreaked upon it.

The black cat earned a strange, pale scar over one of its eyes after the sharp corner of a falling book caught it while it was leaping over a shelf, and its pursuer, a menacing looking, pierced male with a wild mane of dark-brown-bordering-black hair brought the injured animal to the school nurse, who also was a veterinarian. Now the cat resided with the black haired male, who furiously denied any instances where he had plead with the feline to come down from the bookshelves.

"I can't do this; not without you!" Lucy screamed, startling Natsu with the pure loneliness in her words and the startling revelation that her mother was gone. She had… died? He guessed that much from the way the blonde was shaking and glaring at the sky.

"Give her back! _I need her more than you do!_ " The world was silent afterwards except for the sobs and desperate hiccups that she tried to stifle.

He took another three steps forward onto solid land, now only a couple of steps away from her.

She was crying, Natsu realized. He never saw her cry before; all the memories he had of Lucy were of her smiling, laughing, looking serious, sad, but never of her actually shedding tears.

It made her seem more human, like the day when he saw Erza, the intimidating student president, cry.

Lucy choked out a plead, "trust was easy when you were around. Please, I need someone! Anyone… someone who I can be myself with…"

He felt intrusive; he wasn't supposed to hear this, but he stayed because she was his friend and he wanted, no – he _needed_ with an overwhelming passion to help her. He took a step.

"I just need to talk to you about Father, about today, about _him_!" She sat on the grass bordering the pond, face in her hands. " _He hurt me so much!_ "

Who was this _thing_ that dared to hurt his favorite girl in the world? he fumed. Another two quick steps forward and he was within arm's reach of her.

"I never thought I'd be called… _fat, annoying… and loud-"_ she leaned forward, not seeing the surface of the water nearing and her voice cracked from her emotions.

* * *

He caught her just as she tumbled, and they fell into the pond. The water was cold but not too deep, and physically standing up was easy – emotionally, not so much.

His arms were around her, and hers were around him as well. The splash of the water shocked her into the present, and she spluttered for air after having sucked in some pond water. It took her a few seconds to respond to the unnaturally warm presence surrounding her, and when she did, she looked puzzled at first.

"Natsu? What are you doing-" Her eyes opened wide and realization hit hard. She looked at him with a wordless question and in response; he lowered his head and, somewhat shamefully, nodded.

There was no period of transition for her moods; they flipped suddenly and she was pushing him away and stumbling with lead-weighted legs backwards towards shore. Stumbling over one of many slippery moss rocks, she flopped back-first into the water and emerged gasping for breath again.

"You- you-" she couldn't speak- so he spoke.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, still standing where she'd pushed him hard in the chest. His sopping pink hair dripped over his face and his clothes were wet and clinging to his body; the water was up to his waist and to her belly button.

She stood, breathing heavily and gaping when he looked at her, dark emerald eyes meeting her caramel brown ones, and opened his mouth. "I didn't mean to hurt you; to make you feel unwanted, lonely, isolated."

How did he know she felt that? she wondered.

"I… I felt like that when my father left me – foster father, actually." He admitted, eyes burning into hers. "Causing you to feel that way makes me the worst of scum; I'm sorry." He didn't look away, his eyes conveying the unspoken feelings to her.

She judged the sincerity of his words, body still high on adrenaline and ready for escape, but the only way off the island garden was the bridge right behind the pink haired male.

She could detect no malicious intent from him; he was only telling the truth, and he only ever meant the best to her, she knew. She shouldn't have lashed out at him.

Sighing, she moved to him and carefully embraced him, resting her head against his warm chest. The beating of his heart thumped loud and strong beneath her ear.

"I'm the one who's sorry." She whispered. "I blew something you said out of proportion. It was just a joke, I know."

He shook his head and spoke, the vibrations humming in his chest and traveling to her. "Maybe, but I shouldn't have made the jab anyways. I won't make that mistake again." Slowly, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her snug against him. "Sorry, Lucy."

Tensing when he felt her tears burning a trail down his shirt, he rubbed her back soothingly. "I'm here for you, Luce. I'll always be here whenever you need me."

She looked up at him, eyes watery, yet clear and strong. "And will you keep your word?"

"Yes," he affirmed, nodding once, confidently. His demeanor was serious, and Lucy released a shaky laugh that sounded a lot more real than the ones he heard the past few weeks.

"Mavis, I needed that." A small smile formed on her face, and he grinned back down at her.

 _The words, "thanks, Natsu." remained unsaid, but both parties heard it loud and clear._

* * *

Thanks again to all reviewers, followers, favoriters, and readers of these one-shots! I love reading your reviews and feedback as much as seeing that people are looking/reading this. You all are awesome, so thanks! ;)

To **thatonenalushipper** :

Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad that you thought the last one was cute; I hope it was better written that the first (bonus) prompt I wrote. *nervous laughter* Hope you enjoy this one, too! ;)


	7. Tears and Hugs

Title: Tears and Hugs _  
_

 _She could always count on him to understand her._

 **A/N:** Another random lil' short story - it's not really "official" Nalu week, I guess, since it's so overdue. I had trouble connecting Glory Days with my writing, so I skipped that prompt. I just felt a little... weird, and I needed to write this. Heads up! It's been a long time, and I think my writing skills have gotten _really_ rusty. Hope you enjoy, though!

Thanks to all reviewers, followers, favoriters, and readers of these one-shots! I love reading your reviews and feedback; you're all awesome and so supportive! Thanks for helping me through these _blah_ times. ;)

~Nora

* * *

"Lucy, do you have thirty seconds?" Mr. Clive asked, his tone of voice suggesting that it was more of a command of " _I need to talk to you_ " rather than a question. The girl nervously got up, preparing herself for the dreaded words. She knew what he had to talk to her about.

Ushering her out before him, the social studies teacher turned and met the eyes of some of the other students. "What are you all lookin' at?" he boomed, causing a few kids to jump in their seats. "Get back to completin' your tests."

Turning his attention to the fidgeting girl, he coughed. "So what happened with your project notecards?"

Feeling more than a bit uncomfortable knowing that her peers could probably hear their conversation through the open doorway, she met her teacher's eyes and said, "I procrastinated." The words that she rehearsed this morning over and over in her mind sounded flat and careless when spoken out loud. Her unwavering voice did not make her feel proud today.

Searching her eyes, Mr. Clive did not seem to find what he was looking for in there because a moment later his shoulders subtly slumped, and he said to her, "Come in at lunch or study hall and I'll grade the ones you get done today."

She nodded dumbly, a hesitant "thank you" sneaking past her lips, and headed back into the classroom. An irregular pulse echoed faintly in her ears and pulsed in her empty cavern of a chest as she sat down. Silent, disappointed tears slid down her cheeks and try as she might, they would not stop.

Bitterly, she examined her blurry test papers, wishing she could vanish into thin air and Apparate home like the boy with the lightning scar. Why did the tears keep coming?

Wasn't the shame already enough?

* * *

The school day passed in a blur, and suddenly she was done with her core classes and heading to her electives. She visited her Home Economics classroom and informed her teacher that she had a flute lesson and headed upstairs.

On her arrival, the band room was brightly lit but empty. It looked like the band director was somewhere else at the moment. She headed inside.

Grabbing the stack of music for her section, she placed them on their respective music stands. Sitting down at her seat, she slid the flute case off her shoulder and opened it. The silver head joint slid easily into the polished body, and she gently twisted the foot joint on last. She shut the lid of her case and placed it under her seat where it wouldn't be tripped over.

Looking up at the clock, she laughed when she realized she was still a few minutes early. "No wonder there isn't anyone here yet," she chided herself.

Lifting the cold instrument to her lips, she pressed some keys down and blew warm air into the head joint. Only the scritch-scratch sound of moving air reached her ears. She took a breath and tried again–success! A flat Middle C buzzed through the air, but it did nothing to fill the hollowness in her chest.

She tilted the flute slightly away from her and adjusted her embouchure. This time, the note came out more in tune, humming like a honeybee searching for a fragrant flower.

Closing her eyes, she let her fingers fly as she moved upwards in a chromatic scale. The strange, dissonant notes she produced on the woodwind drowned out the few quick breaths she allowed herself. Heart and soul enraptured by the music, she stood up, letting herself fall into the deep abyss of emotions at the core of it.

One of her favorite pieces and earliest she learned from her mother, a talented flutist, was Clair D' Lune.

A beautiful piece with a lilting melody, mother and daughter spent many nights serenading the peaceful night with its twinkling stars, and oftentimes Jude listened to the calming music as well. It was a happy time in their family, those lovely evening concerts with just the three of them. Life was wonderful until Layla died of pneumonia a month after accompanying Lucy at a music concert hosted at Carnegie Hall.

Her father had completely shut her off then. He prohibited music from being played in the house, but when he was out for business trips Lucy uncovered the flute case hidden in her clothes hamper and practiced her heart out.

Although she didn't live in a mansion, the house was silent and empty without the sound of her mother's flute playing and her father's rich voice singing with her.

She escaped from the big house whenever she could; her friends, particularly her spontaneous, pink haired partner in crime, became her saving grace from the lonely evenings spent in the Heartfilia household. Sometimes, she also headed to the high school and played with the marching band, whose temperamental director, Ms. Aquarius, was a close friend and fellow flute player with her mother.

A warm hand rubbed away the tears she didn't know were falling. Shocked, she opened her eyes and met the brilliant green eyes of her best friend. He was standing very close to her, only a few inches between their faces.

"You okay, Lu?" he asked, voice heavy with concern. She lowered her flute and opened her mouth to answer, but not a sound came out. More droplets dripped from her eyes.

He seemed to understand because his arms opened wide, an invitation. She somehow set her instrument down and leaned into his embrace, burying her face in his shirt. His calming scent filled her nose, and his comforting arms wrapped around her. She sank against him and breathed and cried until her sadness was spent and all that time, not saying a word, he stood and hugged her.

"Thank you," she mumbled into his shirt, no longer as melancholy.

"You don' need to thank me, ya weirdo," he said, grinning when she looked up. Both hands caressed her cheeks and gently wiped away the last few tears. She couldn't help but smile, basking in his wide grin. Then before she could stop herself, she leaned up, eyes fluttering close, and kissed his cheek. Opening her eyes, she saw the vivid blush spreading across his face as he gaped wide-eyed at her.

"Thanks, Natsu," she whispered, hoping that he would understand.

His eyes softened, and he smiled, pulling her into yet another hug. "Of course, Luce."


End file.
